A 25-year-old West Cork man who has 67 previous convictions has been jailed for four months for burglary and criminal damage.
Flor Murphy, solicitor, told Judge Joanne Carroll at Bantry District Court that his client Tadgh Tuschewski had previously lived with his mother at 3 Carraigrosa, Rossmore, but is now of no fixed address.
The accused had been brought by his mother to be admitted to the mental health services in Bantry on February 11th last. ‘But something happened,’ said Mr Murphy, ‘and he wasn’t admitted and he ended up wandering around the streets of Bantry.’
At 2am on February 12th, the accused broke into an unoccupied house at Dromleigh South. A neighbour, who was disturbed from his sleep, came out to see what was happening only to be told to ‘stay out of it’ by the accused, who then moved on to another unoccupied house, where he broke a window before leaving the area.
Judge Carroll said she had no option but to send the accused to prison. She imposed two four-month sentences that are to run concurrently.
The judge noted that the accused had appeared before a different judge in May 2025 and had been given a chance.
She said he had been remanded on bail for the production of a probation report but had, in the interim, come to adverse attention.
Judge Carroll noted that the accused had been released from the Central Mental Hospital having been described as ‘cured’ provided he takes his medication and stays away from drugs that could induce a psychotic episode.
(Funded under the Local Courts Reporting Scheme.)
